Big Rex heading to cath lab to unclog arteriesBig Rex, my dad, goes to the cardiologist in Pine Bluff this week for a procedure to unblock a couple of arteries. He lives in southeast Arkansas and Pine Buff has the closest hospital of note in the region with a cath lab. As I understand it, the procedure is quite simple — well, simple for me to understand — they’ll run a tube up into my dad’s heart, push in a stint that will open things up in the artery, and all will be well in his life. In...

Pentecostalians: A New name for a new peopleWe are approaching the greatest celebration of our religious foundation — the feast of Pentecost — which will be Sunday, the 50th day after the resurrection of Jesus. Most of us know what that means. But for those who are not familiar with this feast, it is the day when the Apostles of Jesus experienced a renewal of their spirit at the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God in their lives, and made it possible for them to work miracles. ...

Watching kid sent to prison for killing sisterI followed Courier reporter Preston Tolliver to the Pope County Courthouse Wednesday morning to watch the sentencing of a 15-year-old Franklin County boy who was accused of shooting and killing his sister in January. You can read the story on Page 1 of this publication today. Colton Harvey looked every bit of 15 as he stood before Circuit Judge William Pearson and received 45 years in prison for killing his older sister. He received a 30-year ...

What is motivation? According to Dictionary.com, motivation is “the act or an instance of motivating, or providing with a reason to act in a certain way.” In my life, I have motivation for why I do everything. I go to school because I want to learn and know it will enable me to do work I will love. I work because I love what I do (and having a paycheck is nice, too!). I work out because I want to feel good and be healthy. Everyone’s motivation for things comes fr...

Reasoning faith: Why do I believe in God’s existence?I am in some measure a product of the Enlightenment, with its emphasis on reason. “It is the age which brought together the humanistic spirit of the Renaissance and the scientific revolution of the 17th Century and thereby ushered in what we call ‘the modern world’” (James Livingston, Modern Christian Though: From the Enlightenment to Vatican II, p. 1.) On the other hand, I espouse the Christian faith. The two taken together, dispose me toward...

This just might do itI’ve always been a big fan of the game of basketball. Whether I’m playing it — which doesn’t happen very often anymore — or if I’m watching it — which happens much more often — I find it to be one of my favorite sports, second only to football. Over the years, my interest in the sport has continually increased. When I started writing for The Courier, I began to follow it more closely, at all levels. Like a lot of people, I’ve been paying close...

Memorial Day thoughts“Memorial Day” was originally known as “Decoration Day” because it was a time set aside to honor the nation’s Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. On May 5, 1868, Logan, in his capacity as commander in chief of the Grand ...

Stop for a few moments to rememberMemorial Day is a day to remember those who have given their lives in service to our country. It was originally called, “Decoration Day,” and was a time when families would decorate the graves of their war dead. The first state to officially recognize May 30th as Memorial Day was New York in 1873. Later, the Federal government chose to designate the final Monday in May as Memorial Day in order to have a three-day weekend. It’s unfortunate that...

Some things that have been on my mindThere’s a few things I’ve seen in the sports world lately that have piqued my interest, and not necessarily in a positive way. A couple things locally that have ruffled my feathers involve Russellville High School sports. The first came in Saturday’s softball championship game when the umpire called freshman courtesy runner Jocelyn Brown out, when it was clearly obvious she was safe at home plate. In Tuesday’s edition of The Courier, we ran a ...

This and thatThe sun is shining, school is either out or almost out throughout the Arkansas River Valley, and I’m stuck at work. The beautiful weather is calling my name. Well really, my bed and a good book are calling my name, but I blame the weather, nonetheless. I’ve got too much work to do this week, so instead of knocking it out early, I’m daydreaming about all the others places I could be. The Grand Ole Opry has been on my mind since interviewing gui...

My long list of pet peeves and other thoughtsGot any pet peeves? I do. OK, I have a lot of them. But I know you do, too. I once sat down and made a list of some of the things that causes me alarm, that makes me make comments to no one in particular, and it turned out to be quite a list. I was surprised at how many items I wrote down, and then I realized I still had plenty of other things I could have jotted down on my list. Here’s one that always sets me off: It seems that nearly every t...

A choice for lifeDeut. 30:19 “…I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing…” There are 11 words in this text. Eleven words that could be summed up with one word: Choice. Our choices determine our destiny. We spend our lives in the pursuit of inner peace; joy; happiness. We search, we buy, we try, we do. Yet, when we come to the end of life and face the setting sun, we learn that the answer lay in the power of a single choice: to follow Christ. T...

Heart Like MineTo me, writing is all about feelings, emotions, and striking a cord with someone. The written word is so powerful and can very easily evoke a myriad of emotions. Since at a very young age, writing has been an outlet for me in that way. Although I love to talk, and consider myself a comfortable public speaker, I much prefer to express those serious emotions in writing. It is the place I have found to let out all my vulnerability and express fee...

Remembering RockieDonna “Rockie” Richardson, 51, of Russellville, faithful servant of the Lord, choir member, Courier guest columnist, race relations task force coordinator, Pink Rose Club member, black belt, lover of life, a friend and sister passed away Wednesday, May 9, 2012. “I wish I could run away and hide. I’m wiped down to no platelets and have nothing to fight off infections, but I am determined to raise awareness and I am determined to fight anyway,” ...

Forty years laterAs my Russellville High School class of 1972 approaches the 40th anniversary of our graduation on May 26, it is a time of reflection and looking back at a period of our lives that greatly influenced us all. My recollections and memories of the time at RHS still hold a special place in my heart as I’m sure they do for the other remaining 205 graduates. As with all classes, we were a diverse collection of adolescents, with a myriad of background...

Thinking about baseball, good times at beachThe school year is almost over, and summer will officially be here. A bunch of folks graduated this weekend at Arkansas Tech University, and in the coming few weeks, high school seniors from across the Arkansas River Valley will be walking, dressed in cap and gown, ready to accept their diplomas. For me, that’s a sign baseball season is well underway, temperatures have heated up in Arkansas, and it is time for me to find a place for vacation w...

Counting of the OmerIn the days leading up to Pentecost, also called “Shavuot,” our Jewish brothers and sisters do a curious thing. They count. Each day they “count the Omer.” What is an Omer, and why do they (and those of us at Chiam B’ Derech) count it? And why is it important for you to know that today is the 34th day of the Omer count? Leviticus 23:15 tells us “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the she...

Remembering Coach Sevier — an Arkansas legendThere will be an empty seat when the Golden Suns open their 2012 volleyball season in August inside John E. Tucker Coliseum. There will be an empty seat behind the western end zone, under the shadow of the goal post at Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field, when the Wonder Boys kick off their football season in September. There will be an empty seat alongside the basketball court when the Wonder Boys and Golden Suns tip off in November, when the cros...

King: Last of the Bubbas? We’ll seeSpring is definitely in the air in the Arkansas River Valley. Whenever I take a deep breath, I am reminded the pollen count is high by the way my body reacts to the rush of particles that invade my sinus cavities. I’m sure many of you understand the topic well. I have also noticed King, my old Labrador retriever, is suffering a bit this spring from these seasonal allergies. King loves to go into the backyard, especially in the mornings, and ro...

Even Superman, every-day warriors need helpIt was January 1995, and the Pittsburgh Steelers were trailing 17-13 in Three Rivers Stadium to the San Diego Chargers. Last moments of the fourth quarter, fourth and goal inside the 5. Surely, the Steelers would score and pull out yet another come-from-behind playoff victory and move on to another Super Bowl. But they came up short. San Diego won and went on to lose to San Francisco 49-26 in the Super Bowl that year. Last week, that game has ...